Two senior Christian leaders entered Gaza on Friday to offer condolences after at least three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the only Catholic church in the enclave.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, were allowed into Gaza – where entry is tightly controlled by Israel – to offer a message of solidarity after the attack.
The visit took place after US President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza city. The White House said the President did not react positively to the incident.
“I think it's an understatement to say that [Mr Trump] was not happy,” said a State Department's spokeswoman. Mr Netanyahu's office acknowledged on Thursday that "stray ammunition" hit the church, describing the incident as a "mistake".
During their visit to Gaza, the Christian leaders "will meet with members of the local Christian community, offer condolences and solidarity and stand alongside those affected by the recent events", Cardinal Pizzaballa said. He "will personally assess the humanitarian and pastoral needs of the community", it added.
The patriarchate said the church officials would also deliver aid and essential assistance “not only to the Christian community, but also to as many families as possible", with help from aid workers. "This includes hundreds of tonnes of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment," it said.
The delegation also arranged the evacuation of people injured in the attack to medical centres outside Gaza.
Pope Francis would call the church in Gaza city every day to offer comfort to priests and Palestinians sheltering there. The parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was one of several people injured in the Israeli attack.
Pope Leo XIV, who succeeded Pope Francis in May, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after the strike. “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza," said a statement issued through the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. "His Holiness renews his call for an immediate ceasefire and expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region."
The church sustained "extensive damage" in the attack, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.
On Friday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and said that civilians and holy sites must not be targeted in conflicts.
